j. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 39, 43-51 (January/February 1988) Cosmetic therapy for aging skin JEAN ANN GRAHAM, International Consultant.' Psychology of Cosmetics and Appearance By Ways, Llanasa Rd., Gronant, Clwyd., N. Wales, United Kingdom LL19 9SP Received June 16, 1986. Presented at the Scientific Meeting of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Boston, May 8-9, 1986. Synopsis Elderly women who had aged well were compared with those who had aged badly in terms of facial cutaneous changes. Elderly women who had aged well perceived themselves more positively mentally, physically, and socially. This work has implications for psychological benefits of using skin protection such as sunscreens and for prevention of the psychological disadvantages of sun-damaged or prematurely aged skin. The concept of cosmetic therapy is presented. Cosmetic therapy for the aged demonstrates the psychological benefits of make-overs for elderly individuals: they benefit in terms of enhanced self image, attitude to socializing, and outlook on life, especially those who aged badly. Cosmetic therapy programs are particularly beneficial for those with depression, skin disorders, and disfig- urements that need camouflaging, and those who simply need a psychological boost. The research described shows that cosmetics can help psychologically, as well as by enhancing the appear- ance, to alleviate some of the problems resulting from aging skin. INTRODUCTION The psychology of cosmetics and cosmetic therapy is a new area of research that we have been developing since the end of the 1970's (1). In researching this new field we have paid particular attention to the effects of cosmetics and cutaneous aging in the elderly because this is a group that has been particularly neglected, partly as a function of ageism--negative attitudes toward the elderly (2). In Western society there is dearly a stigma associated with aging. Since the face is the focal point of human communication, facial cutaneous deterioration is of considerable consequence, such unattractivehess leading to serious social disadvantage. We chose to focus research attention on the elderly because we felt there was room potentially for a great deal of improvement in terms of both their appearance and their psychological and social well being, particularly for the unattractive elderly. Our research has indicated that cosmetic "therapy" programs can be very effective in helping to alleviate some of the problems associated with aging. In the new therapeutic approach to cosmetic use that we have developed, cosmetics are used as a vehicle to improve the psychological state and self image of individual elderly 43

44 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS persons and to effect some positive social change in terms of the way in which other people react towards them. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COSMETICS We attempted seriously to define this new area and provide a foundation for the cre- ation of a new field by writing (1) an extensive literature review from which a research program could be developed. At the end of the 70's, very little was known about what, if any, benefits could be gained from using cosmetics. A few isolated studies existed, but there was no systematic or thorough examination of psychological aspects of cos- metic use as an academic field of research in its own right. Throughout the last nine years, in our empirical research in this field, we have observed beneficial effects of using cosmetics for those with normal skin and for those with skin defects such as aging skin problems. We have shown social benefits in terms of how others perceive a person (3) (Table I) with and without cosmetics, and how a person perceives herself (4) (Table III). In researching this new field we have tried to focus on, and develop individually, the Table I Others' Perceptions With and Without Cosmetics: Results of Univariate Analyses of Variance for Appearance and Personality Scales (showing F ratios, significance levels, and d.f. for main effects: make-up and hair) Make-up Hair Appearance scales F P F P 1. Tidy-looking 89.30 CO. 001 56.67 CO. 001 2. Feminine-looking 48.47 C0.001 3. Clean-looking 69.62 C0.001 11.36 C0.01 4. Pleasant4ooking 38.095 C0.001 12.90 C0.01 5. Physically attractive 58.31 C0.001 6. Mature-looking 17.83 C0.001 13.31 C0.01 Personality scales 1, 24 d.f. 1. Secure 7.31 c0.025 2. Sociable 10.50 c0.01 3. Caring 7.70 c0.025 4. Interesting 4.96 0.05 5. Warm 8.76 c0.01 6. Makes effort 20.55 C0.001 42.56 0.001 7. Sincere 17.26 C0.001 8. Reliable 32.83 C0.001 9. Poised 27.67 C0.001 9.92 C0.01 10. Confident 20.35 c0.001 11. Kind 11.18 C0.01 12. Sensitive 23.14 C0.001 13. Organized 28.43 C0.001 35.53 C0.001 14. Popular 10.87 C0.01 5.24 0.05 1, 24 d.f.